This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In recent years, flat panel televisions have become enormously popular in both commercial and residential sectors. As the prices for plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) flat panel displays have continued to fall, and the quality for the same devices have improved, more and more businesses and individuals have purchased such devices for both home and business entertainment purposes.
One of the advantages of flat panel television units that customers have found particular appealing is their relatively low thickness. Because conventional “tube” televisions have a relatively large depth, the display options for such devices are quite limited. In the residential setting, most users require a television stand or large entertainment center to store the television. Such stands or entertainment centers can take up significant floor space, which is often undesirable. In the commercial or educational setting, users will often install large overhead mounting systems that can contain the television. However these systems usually require professional installation. With flat panel televisions, on the other hand, users are presented with a relatively new option: mounting the television directly to the wall. By mounting the television to the wall, a person can eliminate the need to take up potentially valuable floor space.
Although the introduction of flat panel televisions on a wide scale has presented new opportunities to both residential and commercial customers, it has also presented new challenges. In particular, flat panel televisions, while usually having significantly smaller depth or profile than conventional “tube” televisions, tend to be quite heavy. Particularly for flat panel televisions with large screens, this weight can become also prohibitively great. With such large weights involved, it is especially important that users can easily, safely, and securely mount the devices without having to make substantial adjustments.
A number of conventional wall mounting systems involve the use of a relatively large wall surface mounting bracket and a plurality of device mounting brackets that are configured to attach to the back of a television or other display device. Each device mounting bracket typically includes a screw or similar fastener that is used to secure the device mounting bracket relative to the wall surface mounting bracket. One such conventional device mounting bracket includes a pair of side portions which bound a mounting contact portion. An upper hook and a lower guiding portion are located on each side portion, which together define a receiving region for the wall surface mounting bracket. The upper hook is formed on each of the side portions at substantially the same position. A plurality of openings are used to connect the conventional device mounting bracket to a television or other flat panel display.
Although useful, mounting systems of the type described above include certain shortcomings. In particular, current mounting systems include device mounting brackets and wall surface mounting brackets that are sized specifically for television ranges of certain sizes. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, it is important that these components not be too small to adequately support the load of the display unit. If these components are too small, there is a substantial risk that the mounting system will not be able to support the entire load, which could lead to substantial damage to the display unit and potential physical injury to people in the vicinity of the display unit. Furthermore, it is also important that the individual mounting system components not be too large for a particular display unit, as this could result in the mounting system extending beyond the edges of the unit, which is aesthetically unpleasing.
In light of the above issues, manufacturers of television mounts have had little choice but to make multiple models of the same mounting systems, with each model being designed specifically for a particularly range of television sizes. Although this arrangement serves the need of both the manufacturer and the consumer, the necessity to manufacture multiple models of the same product adds to the complexity and cost on the part of the manufacturer, and these costs ultimately are passed onto the consumer. The existence of multiple models also increases the complexity for the installer of the mounting system, as he or she must make sure that the proper mount has been acquired for installation.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a mounting system that addresses the above shortcomings while still providing the user with a structurally sound and safe product.